The 2024 college football season took a wild turn that left the Army Black Knights scrambling for a bowl opponent. They were originally set to face Marshall in the Independence Bowl, but that matchup fell apart after a sudden wave of player transfers from Marshall.
This whole mess got people talking—especially about the NCAA transfer portal’s timing. American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti didn’t hold back, saying the current setup threatens the sport in a big way.
The Independence Bowl Fiasco: A Closer Look
The Independence Bowl, scheduled for December 28, 2024, was supposed to showcase Army, the American Conference champs, against Sun Belt champion Marshall Thundering Herd. But then Marshall had a coaching change, and so many players left that they couldn’t field a bowl-eligible roster.
The Sun Belt Conference fined Marshall $100,000 for pulling out. With Marshall out, the Independence Bowl committee hustled to bring in Louisiana Tech, a local favorite, to fill the spot.
Louisiana Tech didn’t have a winning record, but the game went on anyway. Army rolled to a 27-6 victory.
Even eight months later, the fallout from that bowl game still lingers. People keep pointing to it as proof the NCAA transfer portal’s timing needs a serious rethink.
Tim Pernetti’s Call for Reform
Tim Pernetti, the American Conference Commissioner, has been pretty vocal about the headaches caused by the current transfer portal schedule. The winter window ran from December 9-28, and the spring one from April 16-25. Both have caused issues, but the winter window is especially rough since it falls between the end of the regular season and bowl games.
Pernetti doesn’t get why there’s a portal window right between the season and the bowls. “What are we doing?” he asked, not really expecting an answer. He thinks the current setup hurts the integrity of the game, wrecks team culture, and makes it tough for coaches to build anything lasting.
He’s pushing for just one transfer window, at a better time. “We need one portal window at the appropriate time of the year,” he said. Hard to argue with that logic, honestly.
The Impact on Army’s Roster
The transfer portal has hit Army hard. Just a few weeks after the bowl game was announced, Army lost their star running back, Kanye Udoh, to Arizona State.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Head coach Jeff Monken has made it clear he’s frustrated, saying the constant roster turnover forces coaches to change up their entire approach every year.
“I can assure you,” Monken joked, “not being able to sign a guy to an extended contract forces you to change every year.” He’s not wrong—it sounds exhausting.
Challenges for Service Academies
Service academies like Army, Navy, and Air Force have a unique set of problems when it comes to recruiting. They’re much more likely to lose players to the portal than to bring in new ones. Getting in requires things like Congressional appointments and tough academic standards, which isn’t exactly a selling point for transfers.
Monken pointed out that players could always leave West Point before junior year, so that’s not new. But now, with financial incentives in the mix, it’s even more tempting for players to jump ship.
Army has watched several key guys leave in recent years:
- Elo Modozie went to Georgia
- Wide receiver Isaiah Alston left for Iowa State in 2024
- Running back Anthony Adkins headed to UCLA in 2023
Rising junior cornerback Jaydan Mayes entered the portal but later changed his mind and came back to Army. It’s a revolving door, and honestly, it’s tough for these programs to keep their talent around.
The Broader Implications for College Football
The transfer portal has completely changed college football. Coaches now have to re-recruit their own players while also looking for replacements in the portal. It’s added a whole new layer of stress to running a team.
Pernetti says student-athletes should get to transfer once without penalty, especially for reasonable reasons like coaching changes or family stuff. But after that, he thinks there should be a mandatory one-year waiting period. That feels like a fair way to balance player freedom with some stability for programs.
Looking Ahead: Potential Reforms
Reform talk has picked up steam among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches. They recently voted for a proposal that would create a single 10-day transfer period in January.
This change would give players and coaches a more manageable window. It might also cut down on the chaos that comes with the current system.
The NCAA faces pressure to find a solution that keeps college football fair. At the same time, they need to adapt to what student-athletes actually want and need.
Teams like Army have shown how urgent this issue is for the sport as a whole.
Want to dig deeper? Check out the full article on the American Conference Commissioner’s call for NCAA transfer reforms.
- Schools Covered
- College Football Articles
- Men's College Basketball Articles
- Men's College Soccer Articles
- Women's College Basketball Articles
- Olympic Athlete Articles
- Men's College Baseball Articles
- College Sports Media Professionals Articles
- Hall of Fame Member Articles
- Former College Player Articles
- Game Previews
